Happy Bi Visibility Day!!!! 💗💜💙

Pride and Prejudice: A TWSTed AU

The Keeper of the Underworld: I. Shroud

Introduction, or Pick another route!

Idia x GN Reader (they/them)

Warnings: P&P-level angst and miscommunication, some cringe dialogue, parties, possibly ooc Idia, I wrote this before playing Book 6 so I apologize if there’s any inconsistencies

Notes: The level of overthinking I put into these fics is unreal 💀 First and foremost, thank you all for your patience!! Idia was hard to write, but I hope you enjoy, shrimpies~

———

Well this is certainly something, you thought. Of all the things you’d witnessed at NRC, (even overblots), you didn’t think you’d ever see Idia Shroud at one of Kalim’s parties.

You sipped on your drink when a shock of bright blue flames came in the corner of your eye, contrasting the orange-red of Scarabia. Kalim lead Idia into the dorm, bright and sunny, compared to the look on Idia’s face. Poor guy couldn’t even escape, because Cater and Rook ambled in behind him, chatting happily.

It was like the beginning of a joke: A sultan, a card soldier, a huntsman, and a blue flame-headed gamer walk into a room.

Kalim spotted you and grinned, grabbing Idia’s hoodie sleeve and dragging him over too. “Hey (name)! I’m glad you could make it!”

You smiled at the Scarabia Housewarden, “Thanks Kalim! I-“ At that moment, Jamil reached him to drag him away, mumbling exasperatedly to Kalim about being careful. Kalim laughed Jamil off, “sorry (name)! I’ll see you later, okay?” “Alright then…” you trailed off and turned to Idia, who looked like a deer in headlights.

“So…” you rocked on your heels. To be honest, you didn’t know how to approach him sometimes. Sure, you’d gamed with him a few times (with heavy insistence from Ortho) and you weren’t on his ‘avoid at all costs’ ranking list, but Idia did have his odd moments. Some days, you two would get along like a house on fire. Other times, it was like Idia hated you - avoiding you even in tablet-mode, and ghosting your chats.

You’d like to think that your more friendly moments were the ones that Idia counted, but sometimes it was hard to get a read on the guy.

“I didn’t know that you’d be at Kalim’s party today. I thought Ortho said there was an event in… um…?” You finished, cringing at your vagueness. You might not have known much about the game he played, even though he’d made you play it when you came over to Ignihyde, but you knew he probably didn’t want to be here of all places.

Idia’s hair flared a bit, and he looked resigned and moody. He pulled out his tablet. Ya, the event dropped today but I got mobbed by kalim + the extroverts. “That sucks,” you said, “I got dragged here by Ace. Still, it’s nice to see you.” In the oil lamp lighting, you could’ve sworn Idia’s hair turned a bit pink.

You were both silent, and you opened your mouth to speak when Lilia yelled out from the front, “let’s get this party started!” Kalim started drumming wildly, and then electric guitar swelled. Lilia began screaming heavy-metal-style into the mic. Around you, everyone started dancing, and even you found yourself moving to the rhythm.

You glanced at Idia every now and again, but he looked vaguely annoyed and tired despite the liveliness. He looks so over it, you thought. Probably since Kalim maybe dragged him here. You looked around, biting your lip when you noticed your friends having a grand old time on the dance floor, and kind of wanted to go too. Still, it wasn’t every day you saw Idia, and you wanted to do something with him. Especially since he was… well, here.

“So, Idia…” Idia’s eyes snapped to yours, dull. You rocked back on your feet, “do you dance?” Idia rolled his eyes, and you felt your heart sink, for some reason. Obvi not, id probs distract everyone anyway. And also id just rather not if I can help it. Your smile wavered, “c’mon Idia, anyone can dance, even if it’s not good!” Idia typed rapidly into the tablet, i mean ur not wrong. Like literally anyone can dance but ppl only do it bc its wat normies do.

You opened your mouth, then squared your shoulders, words failing you. Idia shoved a hand into his pockets and opened an app on the tablet, scrolling. You swayed for a bit, feeling awkward while Idia kept his eyes glued to the screen, a frown creasing his brows. Finally you shrugged your shoulders, trying to shake that sinking-feeling off.

You stepped into the crowd of dancing people, swaying to the music and trying not to look over at the blue flames swaying in the corner. Unknowing to you, Idia glanced up from his tablet every few minutes, trying to catch a glimpse of you, before trudging back to the cold chrome of Ignihyde, back to his dorm.

———

Ugh, could this get any worse?

Idia flopped onto his bed, shoving his headphones on and opening the mobile game on his phone. Not only did he get a late start on the game event, but he flubbed a chance to talk to you. Even if you did want to dance like all the other non-introverts at Scarabia. Thank Sevens Ortho didn’t know he missed his chance, otherwise the little robot would’ve torn Idia apart.

Idia shut his eyes and went over the details. Doing this IRL was trash-tier. Why couldn’t this just be a good-old-fashioned otome game, or romance anime? First you meet the love interest, then you find things they’re into, then you talk to them more. Then finally you confess, and cue the outro. He’d watched countless shojo and romance anime’s, and that was the basic outline. Eventually, the ethereal, gorgeous, smart, kind protagonist (aka you) would fall in love with their love interest (aka him) and it would all work out. Boom. Happily ever after.

Ah, yes. He could see it now.

Cherry blossom petals rained around both of you. Where are they coming from, this campus doesn’t grow cherry blossoms? Whatever, don’t question it. Anyway, the petals fluttered past your beautiful, sparkling eyes as you stared up at Idia with adoration and love. Idia stared down at you with full-rizz, kabedoning you against the wall.

“Oh, Idia-senpai!” You’d cry, eyes turning into hearts as sparkles and pink flower petals surround you both. “You’re so cool and not cringe at all! I could never want one of those normies! You’re the only one for me! Please date me!” And then Ortho would set off the heart-shaped fireworks and you two would finally kiss-kiss-fall-in-love, just like the popular anime Our High School Has A Host Club And The Leader Falls In Love With Me?!

“Whee hee hee…” Idia stared off into the distance, giggling ominously to himself and hair turning pink at the ends. His character on the screen went into idle mode, and he didn’t even hear when Ortho floated into the room. “Big brother?” Ortho gently tapped him on the shoulder, yanking him from his shojo daydream. Idia jumped, hair flaring. “AAAIIIIEEEE-“ Ortho jumped back, eyes wide but not detecting any signs of injury on Idia.

Idia breathed heavily, wide-eyed. “Ortho! Wh-when did-? I wasn’t-!” Ortho analyzed his heart beat, noting that Idia had traces of blush on his cheeks and his erratic behavior pointed to- “Were you thinking about (name) (last name)?” Ortho asked innocently, his theory proven when Idia flushed and went pinker. The younger boy suddenly got an idea.

“You know, (Name)’s heart rate goes up when they interact with you,” Ortho watched his brother’s eyes widen, “even when you’re not there, when you’re mentioned, their heart rate increases by 45% and they are more likely to be in a positive mood. 82% of the time, they regard you in a positive way.” His eyes lit up happily with realization, “If my calculations are correct, they have feelings for you!”

Idia sat there, thinking. What were the odds you would like him back? Sure, you made him happy, and more importantly made Ortho happy. And it was actually nice talking to you. And he never felt exhausted after interacting with you. And maybe you did enjoy the artificial light of Ignihyde to the spring sun above, and maybe you would like being with dreary, nerdy him.

Ortho could see his brother lost in thought, noting that Idia’s heart rate spiked when he mentioned you. “I also overheard them telling Grim about finding a partner,” he said casually, omitting that you’d been wanting a partner in Alchemy, and not necessarily a romantic partner.

That seemed to fire Idia up. Ortho could see the metaphorical cogs in Idia’s brain turning, an entire blueprint of a plan being made in his mind. At last, a wide cunning grin spread on his face, and he opened his arms, “well, who else but a genius could be partners with the MC?” He said arrogantly, “it’s not like just anybody can woo the protagonist!”

Ortho beamed, cheering, “all you need to do now is confess!” Idia immediately began sweating, freezing up. “H-huh?!”

——

You frowned at your textbook, rubbing your temples as you read through the alchemy procedure. Ugh, this couldn’t get any more confusing.

As you turned to begin writing, the door burst open. You flinched and immediately locked eyes with a frazzled Idia. His golden eyes were wide, and he was panting - he even looked sweaty. Somehow his blue fire hair seemed just as frazzled as him, looking pale-blue in shock. Could flames somehow look poofy?

“Prefect!” He squeaked. “Idia?” You questioned, what’s he doing here? It was odd that he’d be out of his room at six in the afternoon, not to mention he looked afraid of you. It wasn’t like you were a stranger, even though as of late, he treated you like one.

He stared at you from the door for an uncomfortable amount of time, then sped-walked to stand in front of you. You looked up at him from your seat, tapping your fingers. You awkwardly asked “do you wanna sit down?” He shook his head quickly, the ends of his hair were turning pink. You frowned, “…dude, are you okay?”

Idia flinched. He pivoted on his heel, “no, no, can’t do it, not today-“ he scuttled out of the room and slammed the door, screeching to himself and pulling his hood over his head. You stared at the door, vaguely hearing Idia freaking out to… was that Ortho? You heard the little robot boy’s voice through the door, probably calming Idia down, along with an odd spraying sound.

It went quiet and you assumed they’d left. Whatever, weirder things have happened at NRC. As you went back to writing, the door slammed open again. You jumped, heart beating wildly. Idia stormed over to you, hair blazing a trail behind him. He slammed his hands down on the desk, and your eyes watered with the scent of overpowering cologne bodyspray.

“Prefect! I need to tell you something!” Idia’s eyes steeled in determination, and he looked you dead in the eye. He was breathing heavily, and his flamed hair blazed and curled more than usual, turning deep pinkish-red near the ends. The last time you saw his hair similar to that, was when he was rage-playing during one of your gaming sessions. How pissed is he? You felt your heart leap into your throat.

“Idia,” you began, freaked out, “I think you should sit down-“ Idia blazed on, “this is honestly a horrible decision for you and definitely for me. I don’t even want to think about what Mother and Father would say, not to mention how this’d affect Styx.” He was tunnel visioning now. “Plus you don’t even have magic and this might not even work out anyway ‘cause I don’t see us working out TBH…” Slowly his hair began fizzling out, voice getting quieter and quieter as he mumbled to himself.

This was a terrible idea, Idia realized. After everything that had happened with Styx, not to mention everything you had to deal with personally, it wouldn’t be good to get involved with him. You could be in danger, especially as a non-magic user. No, it would be selfish of him to ask you to be with him. Why would you, anyway? There were other guys at NRC, not to mention the entire Sage’s Island, who would be a better fit for not. Especially ones who didn’t kidnap your friends and Grim. Especially someone like Idia.

No, he concluded. He shouldn’t have come.

You frowned deeply. “Idia, what…?” Your alchemy work definitely wasn’t done yet and Idia was making zero sense. He sighed, as if tired all of a sudden. “Nope, no… this isn’t going to work.” He stood abruptly and sped-walked out the door, brushing past Ortho. You overheard the boy try to get his brother to come back, but Idia didn’t stop. You could feel your heartbeat in your ears. So that’s what this is about? Idia didn’t want to be friends with you anymore? All because you weren’t… what? A tech whiz? Good at gaming? Magical? Your heart dropped. Because you were just too different from him? So you weren’t good enough to be even friends with him?

Your eyes stung at the thought. Fine. If Idia wanted to be that way, then fine. You shoved your books into you bag and headed back to Ramshackle. You doubted you’d be able to focus, anyway.

———

Poor Ortho was confused.

After running simulation after simulation, scouring the Internet for any clues, and piecing together what Idia said after running out of the classroom, he just couldn’t understand what happened. That was a first, considering it was Ortho.

Idia had ran out of the room in a hurry, mumbling incoherently. “Brother! What’s happening?” Ortho flew to him, scanning his vitals. Idia seemed to be ok, but his brother seemed… strangely melancholic. “Ortho, it won’t work out,” he said dejectedly, not wanting to talk about it.

Ortho called after him, trailing behind “What did (name) (last name) say? There was a high probability they’d accept your-” Idia sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. “It won’t work. I should’ve never left the dorm…” As Idia trudged back to Ignihyde, Ortho was left with more questions.

He hovered for a moment, before heading back to the alchemy room for you, only to not find you there. Ortho thought hard, thinking back to what Idia said. ‘It won’t work out,’ was what he said - not a flat-out rejection from you. So that meant…

He began floating back to Ignihyde, determined. I can still save this!

———

You were taking overthinking to a new level.

You bit your lip, staring at the game’s chatbox in front of you. Idia was online, and probably didn’t realize you were too. You leaned against the Heartslabyul common room couch (curse Ramshackle’s lack of internet!), and hit send.

Hey is everything ok??

You watched Idia’s game icon immediately switch to “online less than 1 minute ago,” and groaned.

Cater exited the kitchens, leaning over the couch back. “Hey~ what’s got my fave frosh so worked up?” He chirped, looking at your phone. “Ohh, isn’t that the popular game that’s been trending? Wait, didn’t you say Idia got you into it?” Cater immediately had his phone in hand, “that’s supes adorable, playing with friends is so fun-“

You cut him off, throwing your hands up, “that’s it! Idia just doesn’t want to talk to me! He- he just-!” You grabbed a throw pillow and smashed your face into it, groaning. Cater patted your shoulder sympathetically, “well, we’re playing at another one of Kalim’s parties tonight, you want in?” You sniffed dramatically, thinking. “Well, I guess. Sure, why not?”

Later that evening, you stepped into the Scarabia mirror. You and Cater made your way to the food table. As you both munched on Jamil’s cooking (damn, the guy made a good curry), you watched everyone dancing. “Y’know, it was weird seeing Idia at a party,” you commented, while Cater nodded. “Yeah! We decided to bring him along that day, it was fun seeing him.”

You sighed, “yeah, it was, but… it’s not really often that we can hang out in person. I kinda wanted to dance with him last time, but he sort of… blew me off? I guess maybe it wasn’t the best idea.” You winced, while Cater’s eyebrows rose. “You didn’t tell me that. So, he did that and also told you he didn’t want to be friends?” You nodded, frustration flooding back, “Yeah! And I just don’t understand how he can be so conceited about him being so high and smart, and not like me because I don’t-“

“Prefect,” Cater cleared his throat. You looked up mid-rant, meeting Ortho’s eyes, and jumped. He just snuck up on you both like it was nothing. Did he hear you? Hopefully he wouldn’t be mad. In your mind, Idia started it.

“Hello (name) (last name)!” Ortho said pleasantly, so you assumed he hadn’t heard you. Great. “I didn’t know you’d be here! What a coincidence!” That was a lie, Ortho overheard you and Cater talking about the party when you were walking to Scarabia. He absolutely knew. And he dragged Idia here because of it.

“Yep,” you smiled at Ortho, “it’s nice to see you.” Ortho mentally readied himself and remembered every bit of acting advice Vil gave him. “I almost forgot!” His eyes widened, while your eyes narrowed. Ortho was a robot. He didn’t forget shit. “Big brother is here, and he wanted to ask you to dance!” What? Your neck snapped around, looking for Idia’s bright blue hair. Cater elbowed you, bringing you back to reality.

“I-well, I- had not-“ you stammered, fumbling for an excuse. Ortho’s eyes shone at you like puppy eyes, and your anger at Idia cracked. “…yeah, sure,” you watched Ortho rise a bit in the air happily, “Yippee! I’ll go get him!” He zipped off, and you rubbed your temples. Cater twisted a strand of his hair, eyes wide. “Yikes…” “tell me about it,” you groaned.

A few minutes later, you both looked up when Kalim tapped the mic. You didn’t miss Ortho hovering a ways behind Kalim. “Hey everyone! Thanks for coming!” When the cheering died down, Kalim continued, “We’re gonna try something different! Everyone, find a partner and join the dance floor!”

Cater glanced at you, mischievous. “Welp, I can’t leave them hanging~ TTYL, Prefect!” And he left faster than you could say ‘Magicam.’ Sweet.

You hesitantly stepped to the dance floor, half expecting Ortho to float up to you and sheepishly tell you Idia left. Your mind drifted back to that day in the alchemy room. I guess it wouldn’t work, anyway.

To your surprise, a finger tapped your shoulder. You turned, seeing Idia with a with a flushed expression, wearing a casual-but-chic blazer. His hair looked a bit tamer than normal, and cascaded down his back in a low ponytail, bangs flickering over his forehead. Undoubtedly, this was the work of Ortho, who definitely got pointers from Vil.

You both stared at each other, unmoving, until slow music began playing. You averted your eyes. Idia gulped, eyes widening until waving caught his eye. Ortho was flying upwards a little ways away from the slowly-crowding dance floor, gesturing wildly at you. As if that wasn’t enough, he projected words above his head: DANCE WITH THEM!

Idia was lucky that everyone else was more interested in dancing with their partner than Ortho. His eyes snapped back to you, “s-so I guess you wanna-“ he swallowed thickly, eyes shifting to the dance floor. You shrugged, feigning nonchalance and looked ahead. Idia looked back at Ortho, who was pointing wildly at the words. He thought to himself, this is fine. It’s just the mandatory side quest. It’s not fighting the boss. It’s…

It’s charming the love interest. It’s solidifying your route!

Idia steeled himself and forced your hand into his. Your eyes shot to his in surprise, and he walked stiffly to the dance floor. Your hand clasped his, and you both swayed gently to the soft rock from the stage. Your brows furrowed, but Idia locked his gaze onto you, focusing only on you.

Yes, he thought. This is just the player’s pov on the screen, and he was only focusing on the love interest. The other waltzers didn’t exist. The party didn’t exist. It was just you and him.

Meanwhile, you were at a loss for words. While Idia seemed taciturn, you glanced up at the stage. Cater, Kalim, and Lilia were in their own little bubble jamming out, so that wasn’t a lifeline. After a little while of swaying with Idia, you hummed, “I haven’t seen you in a while. Since that day.” Idia’s hands felt clammy, and in the dimmed lights you saw a small pink dusting Idia’s cheeks. You saw him swallow heavily, but he didn’t say a word.

The tension grew between you two, and despite feeling hurt, you felt a little bad. Still, you wanted some answers out of Idia, after the incident in the alchemy room. “Y’know, you never used to be this… odd around me.” Was it the crowd that made him quiet, or… You felt a lump in your throat. Was it you?

Idia’s eyebrows shot up, thinking fast on what to say. Why can't conversations irl have ready-made dialogue?! “I… we c-can talk about wh-whatever you want? I guess?” He tried, kicking himself internally for leaving his tablet with Ortho. You bit the inside of your cheek as you stepped with him, that’ll do for now. “Scarabia parties are a little much, but they’re more pleasant than the Pomefiore mock balls,” you tried “wouldn’t you say?” After an uncomfortable pause, expecting a reply, you mumbled to yourself, “I guess we can stop talking now.”

“...is it like a rule for normies to chat while dancing? Isn’t the act of moving enough?” Idia mumbled in exasperation, hand tightening a little on your own. You bit your lip, your eyes burning. “No, I prefer to not talk to my friends at all and tell them we can’t be friends. It’s so much fun, right?” Idia’s eyes widened, and he scrambled for words, “I- I didn’t mean…” You stopped swaying abruptly, both of your clasped hands in the air. “Why are you here, Idia?”

A chill went through Idia. “T-To be honest, I didn’t even want to come to this stupid IRL dance,” he rushed out, “TBH Ortho had to make me come ‘cause he told me you’d be here-“ “You didn’t want…?” You cut Idia off, heart dropping. The other dancing couples swirled around you, but all the commotion around you felt like nothing more than idle chatter. Hurt flashed in your eyes, and Idia seemed shocked, which made you angry.

“I guess you wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who’s magicless, especially since you have STYX right?”

Idia’s eyes were wider than the Heartslabyul tea saucers. For once, he didn’t have a smart-ass reply. “Um, what? Obvi, I’m kind of stuck with STYX-” You let go of his hand and took a step back, almost bumping into a waltzing couple. “Yeah, wouldn’t want me to mess things up. Make any bad decisions and all that, right?” You felt your eyes water, despite yourself.

Furiously balling a fist and wiping your eyes, “Since you said we wouldnt work out n’stuff.” Idia suddenly remembered everything he’d muttered to himself, from the moment he’d stormed into the room to when he’d left dejectedly. When he’d made his choice and left before you could even get your word in.

Like a coward.

Idia’s heart pounded but shakingly, he reached a hand out to you. “P-prefect, I-I-!” You dodged the crowd, and ran out of Scarabia. You didn’t look back until you crashed through Ramshackle’s door, raced up the stairs, and fell onto your bed, Grim yelping in surprise as you tried your darndest to forget everything that just happened.

Back in Scarabia, Idia somehow stumbled off the dance floor, staggering to a table and breathing heavily. Mentally he replayed everything that just happened. Ortho floated over to him, “Brother? I don’t understand, why would (name) (last name) not accept your feelings?” Ortho went over the footage when he was observing you both dancing, and frowned.

“My senses indicate that based on their body language, they were upset with you. What happened?” Idia swallowed heavily, “I-I said it wouldn’t work out between us c-cuz they don’t have magic,” he stammered, eyes wide, “a-and STYX and-...” Ortho’s eyes widened, then narrowed, “That shouldn’t be a problem! You know that!”

“I meant for them, Ortho.” Idia sighed heavily, sinking into the chair. “I don’t want them to get hurt. Not when…” his mind wandered to Ortho, before NRC. He fell into deep thought. “In the end, I couldn’t even tell them...” He frowned deeply.

Ortho fell quiet, computing. Idia stared at the table, dejected, until Ortho spoke. “You know (Name) (lastname) doesn’t back down easily from a challenge.” That’s true. From playing games with Idia to taking down overblots, you weren’t someone who ran away when it mattered. Maybe that’s why Idia liked you - you were like the protagonists in animes, who found a way to make the world their own.

“You shouldn’t make (name) (last name)’s decision for them.” Idia looked up at his brother. Ortho continued, head angling to the side, Idia shook his head dejectedly, “it won’t work-”

“Your lil’ bro is right, y’know,” Cater walked over, shaking his hair out with his guitar slung over his shoulder. “Sry, I overheard you two,” Cater could piece together what happened. He did see you blow up at Idia (although he couldn’t hear you), and after spamming your phone with no reply after you ran out, now he had an idea of what was going on. “Y’know, if you didn’t tell them how you felt, then how could you know you were making the right choice?”

Idia looked down. Ortho piped up, “Cater Diamond is right.” Idia shut his eyes, then stood up, hands tightening into fists. Cater jumped back as Idia’s hair flared up bright blue, and the Ignihyde housewarden headed straight to the exit. Ortho called out, “thank you, Cater Diamond!” and floated after Idia, “Brother! Wait!”

“Lets go, Ortho,” Idia’s golden eyes steeled in determination, “I can fix this.”

—----

A knock on the door jolted you from your reading of Prejudice and Pride.

It was early morning. Somehow, even though it was the weekend and you’d stayed up all night, you still woke up at an ungodly early hour. After being unable to fall asleep (totally not because of Grim’s snoring and sleep-munching) you decided to go to your living room and read. You were sure that you didn’t have a guest coming, so why would…?

You got up and opened the door, expecting Ace or Deuce or something. The annoyed look on your face turned to shock when you saw Idia standing on your porch. In one hand, he held a bouquet of pomegranate-red roses and some flowers you recognized to be asphodel.

You both stared at each other, unwilling to move. “Idia,” you breathed, “why are you here?” Idia shuffled awkwardly, “I wanted to see you.” You crossed your arms, looking around. “Where’s Ortho?” You were sure the little robot boy made his brother come. Otherwise, why would Idia be here? Idia rubbed the back of his neck, “Ortho isn’t here. I… I wanted to see you,” he repeated.

Wordlessly, he thrust the flowers into your arms, and you wrapped your arm around it instinctively. “I- um,” you looked everywhere but Idia, who was staring at the Ramshackle doorway. “Idia,” you cleared your throat, “about what happened-” “Prefect, I… I wanted to apologize.” Your eyes widened, but Idia continued.

“I… I didn’t mean what I said that day.” Idia looked bashful, face turning pink and the ends of his hair turning a deep blush. He kept talking, rambling on and fighting he urge to grab his tablet and let the device speak for him. “I… really like being friends with you.” The words came out quietly from him, and even though he looked like he wanted to sink into his hoodie, Idia didn’t shirk away.

A lump rose in your throat as you didn’t make eye contact with him, instead playing with the flower bouquet, “I like being friends with you too,” you bit your lip, rubbing an asphodel petal, “I like you, Idia.”

Idia’s eyes widened and went rigid. Both his face and his hair went deep pink. Your own eyes widened at the color, and you felt your face grow hot. So that’s what it meant…? Not anger…?Wordlessly, without thinking, you dropped the bouquet. Your body moved on its own, and you flung yourself at Idia, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and squeezing your eyes shut.

Idia staggered back from the momentum with a squeak, but wrapped his arms around your torso with an iron grip. You gripped his hoodie tightly, finally understanding what had gone on for so long. Your cheek was pressed against his, and despite the early morning chill, you both felt warm.

High above, Ortho hovered in the distance over the tree canopies from afar. He zoomed in on you and Idia, and behind his face mask, he beamed. In midair, he did a heart-shaped loop-de-loop in happiness, and hovered back to Ignihyde.

After a few minutes, you leaned back in Idia’s arms, the both of you chuckling in happy disbelief. You looked up and saw a little blue streak leaving a smoke trail of a heart, and laughed to yourself. Idia turned around, seeing his brother above, a soft reminiscent look on his face.

“…guess Ortho was right.”

~END

——-

Fun fact: the beginning is inspired by idia’s school uniform vignette!!!

Me, while writing this: wow Idia and Cater’s dialogue are unique, they’d be hard to write

Also me: *puts both of them in this fic and suffers*

Writing Idia was SO HARD but I hope I managed to get him right-ish. Trying to balance his reactions with the dialogue was hard 😭

anyway thanks for reading~ please leave a comment/reblog!! <3

Taglist: @cerisescherries, @eclecticprincecollector, @ars-tral, @thehollowwriter, @twst-eeps, @casperandcats, @ttokkisbee, @mitsuriswaifu, @parad-ice-lostandfound, @sad-sie, @moyo5653

(If your user is in bold, I wasn’t able to tag you properly)

Could I request Vil, Malleus, Leona, and Jamil being voted 'gorgeous man you'd like to spend your life with' by their s/o?

GORGEOUS MAN ♡

he cared for his looks a lot therefore the compliments from people however when you praise him so, he can't help but feel love once again

characters: vil, malleus, leona, jamil

warning: none just fluff and fluff

a/n: I'm sorry I haven't been posting my brain was empty during the whole time trying to figure out a way to write all the requests. I'll try to be more frequent. and I kinda wrote it like reader told him he's gorgeous I hope it works too. I wanted to try and use gradient and safe to say it tore my ass

✧ ˚ 　· 　　 .✧ ˚ 　· 　　 .✧ ˚ 　· 　　 .✧ ˚ 　· 　.

VIL SCHOENHEIT

his face is like art which captivates everyone and you were too. his fair skin with no blemishes is a sight to see. you've always admired him for his beauty and brain. just as much as he is good in sports and studies, he is that good in maintaining his face as well.

you loved his face therefore you would stare at it a lot but these days it have been more frequent. while on an outing with him under a tree while he slept in your lap. you had this lovestruck gaze in your eyes graced with a soft smile on your lips. as he asked why you kept staring at him so much these days your reply was "everytime I look at your beauty my mind is filled with the thought of me spending my life with the gorgeous man sleeping on my lap" which was followed with a light chuckle

he was taken aback by your sudden declaration of your love for him but he muses to your adorable antics. 'how cute' he thinks as he spends the day with you by his side

MALLEUS DRACONIA

he was the ruler of a kingdom. his people sung his praises since the day he was born. compliments on the way he rules, his eternal glory and his grace. he has heard them for many ages.

however, there's something he feels whenever praises slips from your lips. a slight burning sensation on his cheeks and hot ears. they weren't painful nor were they annoying rather he enjoyed feeling them whenever he would feel butterflies dance in his stomach.

when he took you out for a dinner in a fancy restaurant while having your food, he felt your gaze on him. he inquired you thinking that you weren't feeling well but did not want to trouble him but his worries soon washed away when you said "looking at your face always makes me believe that in the future if we get married..we would be a happy family. I would like to spend the rest of my life with a gorgeous man like you malleus". your words were so simple but so filled with love that those left him breathless

with you, in every moment, he feels a wide array of emotions. if this is what will be his everyday with you in the future then he would like to get married as soon as possible.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

Leona wasn't the type to dream about a future. the only thing he wanted were to not be ostracised. to not be ignored by people. to be acknowledged equally as his brother. not to have the vast difference in the treatment he receives from people because of the 'personality of a ruthless beast' that they make him out to be.

Leona was someone who would use underhand tactics to make a person indirectly submit to him but when it came to you, he felt as if protecting you from harm was his priority. even with his nature you still loved him. you never criticised him. you never turned him away, rather you welcomed him with open arms inside a warm home. he was still getting used to your unadulterated affection for him since this was not something he received from others.

he is rather ashamed to admit but he still couldn't trust you well enough. he would always think that you are just using him to create your own base where you are a leader and he is a servant servicing your demands but when you told him that you want to spend the rest of your life with a gorgeous man like him on a rainy night inside a blanket. he felt warmth. a feeling he first felt around you as he tried to process those words.

he lightly chuckled at your words and whispered a quite 'alright'. so this is what it feels like to be loved.

JAMIL VIPER

Jamil spent most of his childhood as a servant of the al-asim family. to the heir of powerful family a perfect servant was required to service him. he would never complain and he knew kalim since childhood. while one would grow a different view and he should be treating kalim as a friend but he did not want to let go of the professionalism.

since he had to serve the family heir at all times the possibility of a future with you was something far fetched and he thought he wouldn't really be able to give you the time and affection if you two would get married.

so he postponed the idea of marriage and shoved it into a far corner of his mind and he eventually forgot about it until you, one day told him that you would like to spend the rest of your life with a gorgeous man like him. he had a pink hue dusting his cheeks and it was clear to him that you already made plans of your future and a marriage.

maybe..maybe he can take the possibility of a future with you no matter how much workload he might have. he promises to spend the rest of his life with you as well if it is what you wished for.

tag your results!

CLUB STUPID [SMAU]

SYNOPSIS - Club Stupid, an anonymous podcast meant for the dumb and dumbest to send in unspoken and nonsensical thoughts about issues they face in their day to day lives and for Y/n to speak out and give her opinions and feelings. Normal feelings though, nothing romantic like how she thinks this lazy guy with questionable hair in the volleyball club is actually pretty cute.

PAIRING - SUNA x FEM!READER ft (inarizaki & shiratorizawa + other teams)

GENRE - crack + fluff and maybe some angst thrown in between

STATUS - completed!

A/N- I’m trying to forget about school leave me alone and enjoy some Suna 🙈

started [09.20.20]

ended [10.10.20]

[PLAYING: Club Stupid]

1 - country thots

2 - mysterious and alluring

3- fish have more sparkles in their eyes

4 - Goshiki, play “Califronia Girls”

5 - hoes think alike

6 - coming to you live

7 - true love in the making

8 - said too much

9 - ya-hoo

10 - gelato?

11 - is this what børns meant

12 - strawberry milk

13 - hair ties

14 - no one is safe

15 - a friend who happens to be a guy

16 - simp since first year

17 - feelings are stupid

18 - happy tendou day!

19 - the YN disease

20 - get her a body pillow

21 - tickle in my chest

22 - you are guac baby girl

23 - you called me rin

24 - yeah probably

25 - premarital hand holding

26 - keep her happy

27 - the L word

28 - epilogue

[THANK YOU FOR READING]

EXTRA - hair tie dilemma

EXTRA - there’s a pretty girl in our kitchen

Omi Abs🥰

THE GUY THAT I’D KINDA BE INTO !

a haikyuu smau

synopsis: suna wants to confess to you, he really does. wants to finally get off his chest how much he wished you two were more than just ‘best friends’ for all these years. but what happens when a certain ex, sakusa kiyoomi, finds his way back into your life?

notes: all characters are timeskip, time stamps & dates don’t really matter, gender neutral reader !!

includes: angst, childhood friends to lovers, unrequited love, love triangle (?), referenced/mentioned break up, exes to friends/lovers, eventual happy ending(?), might end up doing two alternative routes for the ending

taglist for this smau is now open !!

relationships: suna rintarou x gn! reader, sakusa kiyoomi x gn! reader

characters: gender neutral! reader, suna rintarou, sakusa kiyoomi, miya atsumu

minor characters: miya osamu, aran ojiro, bokuto koutarou, hinata shouyou, komori motoya, akaashi keiji

CHAPTERS

y/n and co. sakusa’s gc + msby.

chapter one — “it’s a small world.”

chapter two — “kermit >> atsumu.”

chapter three — “this is a mcdonalds driveway.”

chapter four — “hEy sHaWtY.”

chapter five — “very sus.”

chapter six — “ur still the boy that i’d pick.”

chapter seven — “tHE DUCK SONG.”

chapter eight — “kiyoomi slander.”

chapter nine — “tEA.”

chapter ten — “you can’t rush perfection.”

chapter eleven — “chasing miya atsumu.”

Being Reincarnated into a New World as the Bad Guy aka Villain/ess AU

🌹 Riddle Rosehearts 🌹 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: “if you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice” continuation: I love the villain scorned by the world side story: the villain in my heart ask: the role of heroine original and current

♣️ Trey Clover ♣️ being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy (pending)

♥️ Ace Trappola ♥️

being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy (+ Deuce)

♠️ Deuce Spade ♠️

being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy (+ Ace)

🦁 Leona Kingscholar 🦁 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "if you're a villain, then let me be your accomplice" continuation: I love the villain scorned by the world side story: the villain in my heart (pending)

🐙 Azul Ashengrotto 🐙 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "If you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice" continuation: I love the villain scorned by the world

🍄 Jade Leech 🍄 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "if you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice"

💥 Floyd Leech 💥 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "if you're a villain, then let me be your accomplice"

💎 Kalim Al-Asim 💎 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "if you're a villain, then let me be your accomplice"

🐍 Jamil Viper 🐍 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "if you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice"

👑 Vil Schoenheit 👑 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "If you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice" continuation: I love the villain scorned by the world (pending) side story: the villain in my heart side story: the villain is charmed (pending)

🏹 Rook Hunt 🏹 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "if you're a villain, then let me be your accomplice"

🎮 Idia Shroud 🎮 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "If you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice" ask: original plot

🐉 Malleus Draconia 🐉 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "If you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice" continuation: I love the villain scorned by the world side story: the villain in my heart (pending) side story: the villain is charmed (pending)

🦇 Lilia Vanrouge 🦇 being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy sequel: "if you're a villain, then let me be your accomplice" side story: the villain in my heart (pending)

⚔️ Silver ⚔️ being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy

⚡ Sebek Zigvolt ⚡ being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy

Hi, I am an Aquarius and an INTP. Thank you!

based on your zodiac & mbti, i match you with:

KAEYA

Pride & Prejudice: A TWSTed AU

The Rose Red Tyrant: R. Rosehearts

Introduction, or pick another route!

Riddle x GN Reader(they/them)

Warnings: Pride and Prejudice-level angst, Riddle-typical anger, Riddle insults you Darcy-style (he doesn’t mean it I promise <3)

———

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU THOUGHT THE VARNISH WAS PAINT?!”

Today was supposed to be an enjoyable unbirthday party. A party thrown for you, according to your tastes.

Riddle had triple and quadruple checked what your favorite desserts and pastries were, and relayed them to Trey. Cater was handling the table settings, and (despite his prior doubts) Ace and Deuce were taking care of the flamingos and hedgehogs for the croquet match. Everything was going to be perfect in accordance with the Queen’s and his standards. It was supposed to be splendid. Supposed to be.

And the roses were to be painted in (favorite color) and red. The richest, most vibrant (color) and the deepest ruby red, selfishly representing Riddle and You. This was supposed to be the unbirthday party that would charm you. But now?

Everything was perfect except the rose bushes, which were now in varying shades of pink and (color) after they’d dried from the varnish that the first years used. Wood varnish! That dried transparent! Not paint!

“We’re sorry Housewarden Rosehearts!” The first years yelled, hands clasped as they pleaded, “It was an accident!”

“THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!” At Riddle’s words, a sudden chill ran through everyone. Sure, there’d been a few times when the dorm leader snapped at everyone, and reminded them that even though he’d been changed for the better (and less angry), he was still himself. And sometimes, the angry Riddle pre-overblot made itself known.

But this time, it was as if the overblot never happened and he was still tyrannical as before.

“This,” he seethed, face deepening to scarlet and eyebrows pulling into a ‘v’ shape. “Is a disgrace. I instructed you to paint the roses red and (color). And what did you do?” His arm snapped up to point at the rose bushes, “YOU USED VARNISH! THEY’RE THE WRONG COLOR! THEY ARE RUINED!”

The first years shrank back. With all the yelling, it was impossible to not attract the attention of everyone around them, and Trey was all but running towards the scene when he finally overheard Riddle through the Heartslabyul kitchen walls.

Even you heard it, as you and Grim ambled on the path to Heartslabyul. “Hehe, I’ve been hungry since last week waitin’ for this party!” Grim cackled, “what do ya think Trey’s cooking? Strawberry tarts, chocolate cupcakes, crème brûlée?!” His voice went up in excitement, eyes lighting up. You laughed, “I guess we’ll see when we get there, Grim!” The two of you stopped when you heard yelling from within the rose maze. “Oh boy, is Riddle yellin’ again? I don’t wanna get collared,” Grim sulked, and you scooped him up to quiet him. “Hush, I want to see what’s happening,” you whispered and peeked around the corner.

“This unbirthday party is RUINED BECAUSE OF YOUR INSOLENCE! YOU’RE LUCKY THE PREFECT DIDN’T SEE THIS!” Riddle yelled, and you watched as Trey grabbed his arm from behind, “Riddle, it’s fine! The roses are fi-“ Riddle’s face was the darkest red you’d ever seen, and somehow his hair was standing up with rage? Riddle brandished his other arm, “OFF WITH YOUR-“

Grim squirmed in your arms and you lost your balance. You both tumbled into the open grass, right in front of Riddle, Trey, and the poor first years that looked like they were about to jump out of their skins. Riddle’s spell stopped, and his eyes widened when he met yours. “Prefect,” he said, uncharacteristically charming, given that he was about to behead about five students. “You’re here.”

He took a step towards you to help you up, but you picked Grim up and hugged him to your chest, scrambling upright. Something like hurt flashed in Riddle’s eyes. You looked around wildly, the tension becoming thick and unbearable. What the hell just happened?

You noted that the rose trees were…strangely more colorful than usual. Instead of the usual red and white, they were in varying shades of red, ranging from a light blush to a deep pink. They were also in (color), in all shades. They really did look pretty, but they don’t match the Queen’s rules, sadly. You could piece together why Riddle was mad now.

You cleared your throat uncomfortably, realizing everyone was staring at you now. “The- the roses look very pretty,” you wavered, forcing a smile on your face. Riddle’s face wasn’t as red now, and he seemed calmer at your words. “Yes, they’re lovely, aren’t they?” He replied, and the first years replied in unison “yes, sir!” Riddle shot them a look, and they fell silent. Then he turned back to you with a charming smile, smoothing his hair and holding out his other hand to you. “Now, shall we begin the party?”

———

As you headed back to Ramshackle, you thought about what happened earlier. Grim was as happy as a clam, holding the leftover (favorite dessert) that Trey allowed him to take back, but you were unsettled. It was safe to say that it was the weirdest unbirthday party you’d attended yet.

After you caught Riddle mid-collaring, everyone settled into a tense tea party. You were seated to the left of Riddle this time (unusual, since you’d normally sit with Ace and Deuce). The dorm leader himself even served you a slice of cherry tart, ears red. It was like his entire body was tense, and every once in a while, Trey had to mutter something reassuringly to him so he’d relax a bit.

But it kept happening every so often, from when Ace spilled brown tea over the pristine white tablecloth, to when Deuce put his whining hedgehog on the table to calm it down, to finally croquet time when the flamingos refused to stay still to hit the hedgehogs through the hoops.

Needless to say, if the tension wasn’t there, you would’ve thought it a normal, hectic, chaotic unbirthday party. As you and Grim headed into Ramshackle to wind down, you couldn’t shake off the way that everyone stared at you during the party. Odd to say the least, but hey, you got some of Trey’s pastries out of it. Win-win!

Back at Heartslabyul, Riddle crossed his arms at Trey and Cater, frowning. At least he isn’t yelling, Trey thought, adjusting his glasses. That’s good.

“I simply wanted the Prefect to have an enjoyable unbirthday party. There’s nothing wrong with me throwing a party in their honor and to their tastes,” Riddle said dismissively. “Well,” Trey began carefully, “it’s not every unbirthday party that you ensure their favorite desserts are there…”

Riddle tapped his foot impatiently. “Yes?”

“And seat them next to you.”

“And?”

Cater cut in, “the seat next to you goes to your second-in-command or the King of Hearts!” Trey stared at Cater without emotion. “What? Cay-cay reads the Queen’s rules when he feels like it!” To himself, he muttered “and it wasn’t like Riddle was gonna admit it, anyway…”

Riddle pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your point is?” Trey sighed. “You knew this, didn’t you? You wanted this unbirthday party to be different, right?”

Riddle grew quiet. So Trey did know. His vice dorm leader chuckled softly, fixing his glasses. “Well, since today didn’t go as… intended,” he said tactfully, Cater giving him a wide eyed look. “Perhaps you could… invite the Prefect out on a different outing?” “A date!” Cater said cheerfully as Riddle went pink in the face. Riddle thought aloud, “hmmm…”

———

“A… picnic?” You asked, frowning at Riddle, who fiddled with a basket bashfully. “This is a little sudden…”

You were back at Ramshackle alone. Earlier today, Grim was whisked off by Ace and Deuce, who wouldn’t give you a clear reason why they were taking Grim with them, and not you. “It’s ‘cause… Trey needs Grim to taste test his desserts!” Deuce said, picking Grim off the ground before he could protest. The cat monster wasn’t even bothered by this, “really?! Yes! Trey’s the best!”

When you tried to follow, Ace stopped you. “He just wanted Grim! Sorry, Prefect.” Ace suddenly grinned devilishly, “you won’t be lonely for too long, though!” The three of them slammed the door before you could react, and you slumped onto the dusty couch. Hey, at least if you were going to be alone, you could read that weird Prejudice and Pride book, which was surprisingly getting pretty good.

When you’d heard a knock on the front door about an hour later, you’d assumed that Grim was back, here to gloat and grin over his delicious pastry-tasting. You weren’t expecting an uncharacteristically shy Riddle holding a picnic basket, dressed casually in a red blazer and black button down, hair tucked behind one ear reminiscent of his groom-outfit from that time Eliza wanted to marry Idia. He looked so nice, and here you were, still decked out in your pajamas from last night.

Riddle cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yes. I found a clearing nearby, I thought we could both… hang out?” he tried to smile casually, the words feeling strange. Your brow furrowed, but you decided not to question it. He’s acting odd. Still, it’d be nice to get out of the dorm. “…Alright, just let me change.”

After changing into a nice, picnic-appropriate outfit that would make Crewel proud of your glow up, you walked with Riddle. To your surprise, a picnic blanket was already laid out, held down by a tri-candelabra. So Riddle planned this?

“What’s this for?” You asked suddenly as you both sat down. Riddle became tense, haltingly responding “is it strange to want to… do this?” He handed you a small plate, and passed a mini dessert onto it. “It’s nice, but…” You glanced at your dessert, “I thought Trey needed these?” Riddle looked confused. “What?”

“Ace and Deuce took Grim to taste-test stuff for Trey. Shouldn’t you be there? Since you’re the Housewarden and all.” Riddle fumbled his slice of tart. “…Trey can handle it without me. Now, is your dessert to your liking?”

The two of you chatted lightly, although it was still weird to you that Riddle wanted to have this picnic with just you. He seemed to constantly be on the verge of saying something, but holding it back, and instead asking you small things like how was your day? how has alchemy been? Once or twice, he repeated the same question, until finally you’d had enough of this little eggshell dance.

“Riddle, what is this all about?” By now you were on your seventh dessert. Riddle started at your suddenness, fork clattering onto the saucer, eyes wide. He hurriedly put it down and grabbed your hands urgently in his, eyes not quite meeting yours. He took a deep breath.

“You were a nuisance when we first met,” he began, clasping your hands. “And to be honest, you weren’t really anything impressive. You weren’t even sorted into a dorm, and you don’t have any magical talent at all, but I’m willing to overlook that now. And…” he looked you in the eye, grasping your hand delicately, rubbing his thumb over yours.

“You, Ace, and Deuce caused me quite the headache, but in the end, I grew to appreciate your opinion. You don’t have the same experience as anyone else here, and I… I grew to admire that about you,” he said matter-of-factly, becoming confident. “And I know your circumstances aren’t the best, given that you have no connections here, and-“

You blanked, tuning him out in shock. So this is what the picnic was all about. Was this Heartslabyul’s way of trying to get their Housewarden to warm up to you? To become used to your presence? Did Trey or your friends put Riddle up to this? You started laughing dryly, cutting Riddle off.

“…if I’m such a nuisance, then you probably didn’t even want to go on this stupid picnic.” You kicked the blanket edge with your foot, anger coursing in your heart. “And I guess I’m only ever going to be a trouble-causing magicless prefect. Who am I compared to the great Housewarden Rosehearts anyway?!” You scoffed, tears stinging your eyes.

His eyes widened, and he stood, face burning red with embarrassment. Unfortunately, you thought he was now angry at you. “With your temper and your arrogance, there’s no way we could work.”

“I-!” Riddle clenched his hands, steeling himself. He screwed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth in frustration. Then, he yelled “I’m asking your permission to court you!”

The silence was deafening. You stared at him, incredulous. Was this a joke? Did he just pity you or something? He just insulted you, and now he wants to ‘court’ you? “Is this your idea of a joke, Riddle?!”

You took a deep breath, eyes watery. “You are the last person I would date in this school, and I’m convinced that I’m the last person you could ever want.”

With that, you turned on your heel and marched yourself back to Ramshackle, bracing yourself for a loud off with your head!, but you were surprised that it never came.

If you’d looked back, you would’ve seen Riddle with a completely crushed expression.

Unknown to both of you, in a tree not too far behind, a pair of purple ears, golden eyes, and a tail curled, watching the scene unfold.

———

Heartslabyul was quiet. Too quiet.

The entire dorm felt tense each time Housewarden Rosehearts walked into the room, almost always accompanied by his Vice Housewarden who seemed to watch him like a hawk. Only him, Cater, Ace, and Deuce knew what had happened.

That day, after you stormed away from the picnic, he watched you leave, too shocked by what just happened. There weren’t many people who could shock him, both before and after his overblot. It seems you can still surprise him after all, he thought bitterly as he carried himself back to the dorm, in a foul mood. His eyes were watery, but he didn’t dare start crying. This was pointless, to cry would be pointless. He could hear his mother’s words already - “love is useless and beneath you. It will only weigh you down and distract you from your studies. No one is your equal match. No one is like you.” Still, he didn’t want anyone else, not when you were here.

Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn’t see the floating head bobbing next to him. “Nya~ what’s this?” Chen’ya leaned languidly next to Riddle, smiling. “What has our red queenie in such a bind?~” “Go away, Chen’ya,” Riddle grumbled, rubbing his eyes roughly with his sleeve. He could see the kitchen lights on through the window. He wasn’t ready to see Heartslabyul yet.

“Hmm?~” Chen’ya’s body materialized and he angled his head at Riddle. “You seem tense~ not the purrrrfect prosy rose you normally are~” He stared at Riddle. “I heard some mews from Trey that you had your own little rosie~ That little confession earlier didn’t go as planned, hm?”

Riddle flushed with embarrassment, frowning. “Keep your voice down!-“ “With all that yelling they’ll hear you, not meow~” Chen’ya regarded Riddle with a small mischievous look, “You kneow, your rosie may think you don’t like them with all those insults you said. Trey seemed worried about that~”

Riddle pouted, this is so unbecoming of a Housewarden. “The prefect didn’t believe me! Why would they not believe me! I wasn’t insulting them.” “Nya~ then make them believe you!” Chen’ya grinned at Riddle, giggling as he disappeared into thin air. Chen’ya’s still confusing as ever. But still, perhaps he has a point. By then, Trey had come outside to look for the rogue RSA student, starting when he saw Riddle. “How did it go?,” he asked, immediately regretting it when he saw Riddle considerably Prefect-less with a frown on his face.

Trey was surprised when Riddle seemed thoughtful, rather than upset. Perhaps the Prefect was right. Maybe Chen’ya was right, Riddle thought to himself. The Housewarden looked up at Trey, grey eyes steeling in determination. “Trey, I need to take care of a few things.”

———

A few weeks passed and both you and Riddle generally stayed out of each other’s orbit, except for Ace and Deuce, who tried to be a decent common ground. Still, the unbirthday parties seemed a bit less lively, but in any case Housewarden Rosehearts was back to the nicer ‘normal.’ No outbursts, no yelling, no anger - just a nice, pleasant party without the Prefect.

Your friends were pretty much as shocked as you were when you told them what happened. Your Heartslabyul friends reacted as well as you would’ve expected. “The Housewarden’s gonna kill us,” Ace lamented while Deuce just looked shell-shocked. “Planning that took forever, and Riddle kept asking us over and over what you liked, and you just said he never had a chance?! You basically killed him!”

You were exasperated by now. “Look, Riddle doesn’t respect me, he made that very clear! He literally said that I was a headache and talentless!” Still, they didn’t miss what you said after that when you went back to your food, “but I didn’t say he never had a chance.”

Ace and Deuce tried to invite you over to the unbirthday parties, but you resisted the sweet temptation of Trey’s pastries, Carter’s fun Magicam posts, and even Grim’s whines to go. It wasn’t like you were stopping Grim from going, but he just didn’t want to go without you. In any case, you found your days considerably off with your head! free, and no one around school seemed to bear a collar. You didn’t even notice it until Ace brought it up.

“Y’know Prefect, Riddle’s been a lot more relaxed lately,” he said slyly. You stopped eating your pasta, and gave him a suspicious look. “Ace, seriously? You agreed you wouldn’t bring it up,” Deuce frowned, glancing at you. You stopped and thought about it. You hadn’t seen too many collars around school lately. “Still, that doesn’t mean his temper’s gone,” you dismissed him.

Later that day, after club duties, you frowned, checking your phone texts. Seriously? No one’s seen Grim anywhere? It was getting late and you’d even asked the ghosts to help you search for him. Finally, you sighed and trudged over to the library, remembering that Grim had been struggling with yet another alchemy assignment. Maybe he’s found someone to tutor him or whatever.

You walked around the library, and then stopped in your tracks. What was Riddle doing there?

He was sitting down next to Grim, and quietly explaining the problems. Grim was frowning, clearly confused, and yet Riddle didn’t get frustrated at all, to your surprise. He’d just reexplain it, pointing at handmade drawings that you recognized were made by him, and ask Grim a few questions. Grim seemed to understand it better, and even looked relieved.

Color you surprised. This was…different than the Riddle you were used to. You supposed that even though Cater told you how Riddle helped him with learning spells, and Ace told you how Riddle was more patient, it was hard to believe. And yet now, it was right in front of you.

You moved to get closer to them, but your hand knocked over a stray book on the end of the shelf. You cringed and tried to grab it, but it loudly thudded against the floor. The two of them turned around, and you gave them a wide-eyed look. “Grim, I… I was looking for you.” The silence was so loud. Riddle stared at you while Grim grinned at you, looking proud. “Nya, henchhuman! Guess who’s going to get the highest grade in alchemy!” He cheered, while Riddle gently hushed him. Gently. You stared at him, unblinking. What?

Riddle met your eyes. “Prefect,” he greeted formally, hands together. “I found Grim in the library, and thought I’d help him. He seems to understand the material better.” Grim didn’t dispute that, so it must’ve been true. “…thank you, Riddle. It means a lot,” you said, and it did. You didn’t always have enough time to help Grim out with assignments, and more often than not, his test scores brought yours down.

Riddle looked carefully at you, and said quietly as Grim gathered his work, “if you’d like, Prefect, I could help you as well. Professor Crewel says you’re one of his most hardworking students, but Ace mentioned that Trein’s test is coming up. I know you’re not from here, but I could help you study for the history test.” He looked at you earnestly, “only if you want it.”

You looked back at him, weighing your options as Grim hopped off the chair. “Okay.”

———

So this was weird.

Over the next few weeks, you and Riddle sort of… coexisted after that day in the library. And the two of you were back to normal-ish terms.

Every week, Riddle would tutor you on any subject in the rose garden. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t look forward to it - it was peaceful, and the two of you would sip tea while discussing your classes. Grim even came every once in a while to study with you, and your friends certainly seemed less tense with you and their Housewarden in good spirits.

That was the other thing you’d noticed, you thought with surprise. Ace really wasn’t just saying that - Riddle did seem to be more patient and less… behead-y.

You were able to observe everyone in Heartslabyul during this time. And everyone seemed much more relaxed compared to before. Even the same students he’d yelled at during that one fateful unbirthday party seemed more relaxed. Though everyone still abided by his authority, it didn’t seem out of fear anymore - it was out of genuine respect. And try as you might, you found yourself warming up to him too.

If his overblot was anything to go by, you knew it was hard for Riddle to accept change, and yet here he was, attempting to change for himself and everyone. And as great as it was, it scared you. Because you found yourself thinking about him constantly, finding reminders of him when you were in class (Riddle taught that to me) or your tea (Riddle recommended this blend) and even Grim eating tuna (Riddle would reprimand him for eating so sloppy).

It became increasingly obvious. You could deny it no longer. You fell in love with him, but it didn’t repulse you as much as you thought it would have. It felt good. Which is why you kept beating yourself up over what you told him at the picnic - anyone in their right mind would stop liking someone if they said what you did.

Which is why when you went over to the rose maze for this week’s study session, you were horribly nervous. You had a hard time talking to Riddle, and at some point even dropped your teacup onto the grass. As Riddle poured you a new cup, you struggled not to notice how concentrated and gentle his grey eyes were, the gracefulness of his movements. Damn, he even smelled nice too, what cologne was that-

When Riddle looked at you questioningly, you dove into your textbook and scribbled something or other rapidly, hoping he wouldn’t speak to you. If you’d looked up, you would’ve seen the soft smile he gave you, leaning gently on his elbow and admiring you. The two of you stayed like this, until a drop fell onto your notebook. You looked up in time to get a raindrop directly into your eye. “It’s-!”

“Quickly, gather your things!” You grabbed your textbook and papers, and made to dash to the dorm when Riddle grabbed your arm. “The dorm is too far, there’s a gazebo nearby. The rain should pass soon!” The two of you ran, Riddle leading you through the winding maze, until finally you made it to a wooden gazebo with roses climbing the pillars. You sat down heavily, while Riddle peeled off his now-wet uniform blazer. The two of you were silent, until you spoke.

“…thanks, Riddle,” you felt a little awkward thanking him now of all times. He looked confused, “for what?”

“Tutoring me. Being…here. Thank you,” you licked your lips. “I…” you trailed off. Great, you made it awkward now.

You both stayed in silence while the rain pattered around you until Riddle said quietly, “you know, I never thought of you as a joke. Never.” Your eyes widened, but Riddle didn’t look at you, shutting his eyes tightly. “And I really did want to court you.” He coughed, “date you. And if-“ his voice faltered, but he continued softly. “If you still feel the same way you did before then… I’ll leave you be. But I enjoy everything - your company, your heart… you. My feelings haven’t changed. If anything, I’ve fallen even deeper in love with you, prefect.”

Your eyes shone, and Riddle peeked through his bangs to see your expression. You couldn’t contain yourself anymore, and you threw yourself at him. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, kissing his face over and over again while his eyes widened, and his arms went around your waist to stabilize you. You pulled back slightly, eyes glimmering, and a small smile grew on Riddle’s face as he moved to kiss you properly. Weeks and months of nervousness melted away from you both, and you stayed in each others arms, the sounds of murmuring and kissing each other breaking through the rain.

And as the sunlight began breaking through the clouds, you both knew that something new was just beginning. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

~END

—————

Notes: this took longer than I thought it would but after many days of overthinking, here’s the first part :D

Thanks for reading, lmk if anyone wants to be added to the taglist!~ Take care, shrimpies!!

Taglist: @cerisescherries, @eclecticprincecollector, @ars-tral, @thehollowwriter, @twst-eeps, @casperandcats, @ttokkisbee, @mitsuriswaifu, @parad-ice-lostandfound,

@sad-sie, @moyo5653,

(If your name is in bold, it means I wasn’t able to tag you properly 😅

Edit: idk what’s going on with the tags and why I can’t tag some users?? Is this normal????)

Staycation (n. informal)

— a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than aboard, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

Hi, I’m Cadence, and I’m a staycation enthusiast.

I love staying in hotels and there has not been a moment since last summer when I’m not moaning about how much I miss travelling (I miss travelling). As a result, I have fostered a newfound love for staycations where you get to stay somewhere nice and get that feeling of escaping from the burdens of everyday life even without leaving the country.

Since it’s summer and it is the season for vacations, there is no better theme to have for a summer event than to take everyone on a nice little staycation getaway✨

Accepting asks from 1/6 10:00 hkt to 4/6 23:59 hkt

All posts for this event will be tagged with #secondhand hotels & resorts

Let me show you around...✨

Check-in

— send in details of your dream vacation + a colour scheme + a character and get a 9-grid mood board themed around a perfect stay at one of our hotels and resorts tailored to your tastes!

— e.g. somewhere sunny where I can lounge around the warm sand all day and relax under the sun, it would be a dream if we’re staying in a villa where no one can interrupt us and it feels like we’re in our own world + gold + Hinata

Concierge

— you came alone? That’s alright, tell me one thing you totally would have done in the past year if it wasn’t for the whole covid situation + m/f preferences and you might just meet someone lovely during your stay here;)

— aka you tell me things and I’ll match you up with someone by working the magics of being the manager of this hotel to put you two at the right spot at the right time

— e.g. I had plans to go on a road trip with my friends across cities but it didn’t happen🥲 + no specific preferences

Luggage area

— send in a description of what type of packer you are when you go on overnight trips + a character and I’ll tell you three absolutely unnecessary thing they brought with them on the staycation

— e.g. I’m moderate with my luggage. I don’t really feel the need to bring everything I use on a daily basis but I have certain things that I insist on bringing even though not carrying them with me won’t be too big of an issue either. I never bring more than one bag or suitcase with me. + Bokuto

Room service

— tell me your go-to takeout order (whether it’s your favourite food or just the thing you can’t go wrong with when you don’t know what to eat) + a character and we’ll provide you with a romantic dining experience

— aka tell me things and I’ll give you an aesthetic that has to do with food✨with descriptions and song included

— e.g. (this is something I actually order all the time btw lmao) curry rice with fried pork cutlet with a side of gyoza + Kita

Bar & lounge (nsfw)(CLOSED)

— below are a list of potential places for you to... do things people love to do😌send a number + a character to get an elaboration on what you are doing there, you know the drill

on the bed (yes you paid money for that sweet hotel bed don't you dare say it's too boring)

against the room window

against the wall

in the hot tub

on the balcony

in the elevator

on the rooftop

on a sun bed at the side of the pool

in the pool

on the beach

in the gym

in the shower

on top of the bathroom counter

against the door that connects to the room next door (is it locked? Is it not? Is there someone on the other side? Idk you tell me😌)

on the writing desk at the corner of the room

under a mirrored ceiling

(any other you could think of, I’m sure some of you are more creative than I am;))